Note: PB = Online Editor Pete Bailey

MLS

Matt Loomis

Centralia, Ill.

How does MLS compare to the other leagues you’ve played in?

PREKI: Well, it’s hard to compare MLS to any other leagues because this is only the first year. I think the league is doing great, considering it’s just started and we have a lot of new players. I think this league will be a big success.

Bill Sykes

Los Angeles

You are currently the top point-scorer in MLS — to what do you attribute your success this season?

PREKI: I attribute it to my teammates. I mean, without my teammates, nothing would have happened. I really have to thank them for my good play.

PB: When you score, you don’t often try to pound the ball past people. You seem to be a little more cagey, relying on perfect placement and an understanding of where people are — is that the case?

PREKI: Yeah. The thing is, I think I’m very calm around the goal, and a lot of times I just try to place the ball in the net instead of blasting it. If you follow the game of soccer, then you know that if you try to place the ball, your accuracy will be much better than if you blast it.

David Dietrich

Memphis, Tenn.

A common criticism of American soccer is the driving influence of colleges in player development. What is your opinion of the status of the college game and its ability to produce polished players for MLS?

PREKI: Well, from what I’ve seen, I think the players coming out of college are getting better and better, but I haven’t been involved enough on the college level to make a comment on that.

PB: What do you think of the college players you play with and against in MLS? Like your teammate, Matt McKeon (a product of the Saint Louis University soccer program), or other young players, such as Steve Ralston of Tampa Bay.

PREKI: Well, I think a player like Steve Ralston, I think he should have been in the Olympics. I mean it’s not for me to judge it, but I think he’s a good young player. I think Matt McKeon’s a good young player, and the guy in Dallas, Jason Kreis — they all just came out of college. I think those people at the colleges must be doing something right, because we can see that these young players are establishing themselves in this league, and that’s good.

U.S. NATIONAL TEAM

Keith Hooper

Port Richey, Fla.

As you are due to receive your U.S. citizenship soon? If selected by Steve Sampson would you play for the United States?

PREKI: Well, I am due for citizenship very soon. I really can’t tell you when, but, as far as I understand, it’s coming very, very soon. And if Steve Sampson selects me, I’d be glad to play for the U.S.

PB: Hopefully, you’d be in there and ready to go by the time World Cup qualifying starts in November.

PREKI: Of course, yes.

J. Bowen

Fayetteville, Ga.

With your citizenship due fairly soon, where would you feel most comfortable playing with the national side? Not where you think you will end up, but where you would prefer to play or help out the team the most.

PREKI: Well, the coach knows where I am most effective, but I really wouldn’t care where I’m playing as long as I’m in the team. Of course, we would all like to play in our best positions, but sometimes, for the good of the team, the coach puts you in different positions. If that’s the case, I have no problem with it.

PB: What would you say is your best position?

PREKI: My best position is the one I’m playing here (in Kansas City), behind the center forward. That gives me the freedom to go forward and create things.

PREKI’S PLAYING CAREER

Hassanian Jassim

Sioux Falls, S.D.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your great performance at the MLS All-Star Game. That shot was magnificent. My question is, of all the places you played professionally, where has it been most intense (in terms of competition, crowds, etc.)

PREKI: Of course, it’s been in England — England is very intense. The supporters are great — they live for the game of soccer, and I hope someday that it will be the same in this country.

PB: What were some of your favorite places to go play when you were in England.

PREKI: Oh, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham — those are the places you always want to play and do well. It’s a great feeling to be there. You don’t even need a coach to tell you what you’ve gotta do. Your blood starts going faster, and you’re just ready for the game — you don’t need any kind of motivation to play in a place like that.

PB: You spent a couple years with Red Star of Belgrade early on in your career. What was the atmosphere like then when you playing in Yugoslavia?

PREKI: Oh, the atmosphere in Yugoslavia is great too! Red Star has a big stadium that holds 100,000 people, and it’s a beautiful feeling to play in front of that many people.

PB: To the best of your knowledge, what is the situation like there now? Has the strife that has darkened that part of Europe in recent years changed the soccer league and the atmosphere?

PREKI: Of course. Soccer is still the top sport over there, but, as we all know, the country’s split into a lot of parts. Now the Yugoslavian league is very weak, and not as many people go to the games. And the quality of soccer is not the way it was before. A lot of players, now that they are allowed to leave the country, have gone abroad, and that’s why the league is not as strong.

PB: The national team is still pretty strong, though.

PREKI: Yes, they always bring the guys that play in other countries back for national team duty, and they have a good side. Last year, when we didn’t have MLS, most of the U.S. national team players were playing all over the world, and when national team duties arose, they’d get called back.

PB: Do you think the Yugoslavian team has a good chance to qualify for France, ’98?

PREKI: Well, I hope so. I hope for them, because soccer is still a really big thing over there.

Lars Erik Ness

Fjellhamar, Norway

Who are your favorite players in the English League?

PREKI: There’s a lot of good players there: Alan Shearer, Steve McManaman, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp from Arsenal, Ruud Gullit of course, David Ginola, Eric Cantona.

PB: I notice you’re singling out players with a lot of flair — is that something you enjoy seeing from a player?

PREKI: Of course! I think that soccer is all about flair. That’s why the fans go to the stadium — to see flair, to see a good goal or a good move. If those things don’t happen on the soccer field, I don’t think we’ll see too many fans in the stands. I think we need more players with that.

PB: Are you cognizant of that, say, when you take a penalty kick (I know you’ve chipped a couple of keepers this year)? Is that in the back of your mind when you step up there?

PREKI: Really, when I take a PK, I don’t think about where I’m going to put the ball or what I’m going to do. I look at the goalkeeper and see what he does first. A couple of times I chipped the keeper because I saw they were so eager to dive to a certain corner, and that made it easier for me.

Bob Groke

Arvada, Colo.

You are having a great outdoor season. Which do you now prefer….indoors or outdoors?

PREKI: Well, people that know me know that I’ve always preferred the outdoor game. The only reason I played indoor was because there were no leagues here. I had to make a living (laughs), and this is the best thing I know how to do, that’s why I played indoor. I always preferred outdoor, and I’m going to try to play outdoors as long as I can.

PB: Nonetheless, you had a pretty positive indoor experience here —
you played very well, earned many all-star honors, and won plenty of awards.

PREKI: Oh yes, the thing is, I love indoor, too. I love the game of soccer in general — it doesn’t matter indoor or outdoor, but if you ask me what I prefer, I prefer outdoor. But, having played so many years of indoor, I would just like to tell people that indoor is not an easy game. Whoever thinks that indoor is easy is mistaken. It’s a good game. It’s tough! People think you don’t have to be fit — you have to be very fit to play indoors. It’s a very demanding game — a two-way game. It’s very quick, and you’ve got to have a quick mind and good skills to play it.

Brooke Tunstall

Arlington, Va.

If you’re eligible do you have any desire to play for the U.S. five-a-side team at the World Championship later this year in Spain? Also, as an indoor veteran, do you think the CISL should merge with the NPSL to strengthen the two leagues and (assuming they played only in the winter) free more players in the summer for MLS and USISL teams?

PREKI: Well, if I’m eligible, yes. However, if I get called up for the outdoor national team, there might not be room (in the schedule) for me to play indoors. It’s up to them to discuss those kinds of things. If I’m eligible, and I’m free, then I’d love to play.

I definitely think those two leagues should merge, and I definitely think that the winter leagues should change their rules, because those rules have nothing to do with soccer. They should have the regular rules of soccer; they should take away their 3, 2 points, whatever they call it, and play the regular game of soccer. I think the indoor game is very exciting, and if they merge those two leagues together, they could have a lot of players in the wintertime from MLS — and those players could make a pretty good living too.

SKILLS

Aaron Pitchkolan

Aurora, Colo.

Preki, when I first heard you where an allocated player for the Wiz I hadn’t heard of you and I didn’t know what to expect. But when I saw your first couple of games I was shocked how quick, smart, and skillful you were. When I was watching the game where the Wiz beat the Crew 6-4 my favorite goal was your PK against Oshoniyi where you just flipped the ball into the left corner. My question is, how did you become so skillful with your right and especially your left?

PREKI: That’s a tough question to answer. In my country, when you’re a kid, they make you work with both feet. A lot of people in this country obviously pay a lot of attention to my left foot, and they think I’m only a left-footed player. But I’m not! A lot of people who have played with me realize how good my right foot is, but I don’t use it that often. I always try to use my left foot, because that’s where the ball usually is, but, if I have to use my right foot, I can use it really well.

PB: I remember the last goal you scored in that 6-4 win over Columbus, where you spanked that curving shot around Oshoniyi with your right foot. You had some pop on that shot!

PREKI: Well, yeah, I tried to place it. Believe me, the hardest thing in a game is trying to place the ball with your weaker foot. Fortunately, I hit it good, and that ball went in the top corner.

Adam Carney

North Rose, N.Y.

You are one of the most skilled players in MLS right now. What kinds of skills drills do you do? And what kind of drills can a 15-year-old like myself do to elevate their game?

PREKI: What I do every day is juggle the ball a lot. That’s the one drill I’ve been taught to do since I was a young kid, and that’s a drill that will improve your skill dramatically. I would advise all young players to do as much juggling as they can.

GROWING UP

Ben Witter

Souderton, Pa.

Who were your favorite soccer stars when you were growing up?

PREKI: Wow, I can’t even remember! Well, I always admired Johan Cruyff — he was a great player. Also Diego Armando Maradona. I saw many tapes of Pele too. Michel Platini. Of course, my biggest heroes were Yugoslavian players — my favorite was Vladimir Petrovic. (Editor’s note: Petrovic was a star midfielder for Red Star, and a member of Yugoslavia’s 1982 World Cup team).

PB: When you were growing up, what was the development system like?

PREKI: In Yugoslavia, every team had a junior level that we competed on, but the thing is, I was only competing on the high-school level until I was 15. Then I went straight into a Third Division team, and I started for the seniors, the first team, when I was 16. I became a pro very, very early, and then two years later I moved to Red Star.

PB: What made you decide to come to the U.S.?

PREKI: Well, the job opportunity. My family wasn’t the richest family in the world. I had a chance to go from Red Star to another First Division club, but I passed it on. I took my chances and came to the United States. A gentleman by the name of Bob McNab (then the coach of the MISL’s Tacoma Stars) brought me over, and I’ve been here since, apart from the three years I played in England.

IS SOCCER STILL FUN?

Graham Downey

Falls Church, Va.

I’m almost eight years old and have been playing soccer for five seasons (spring & fall). I like soccer a lot. Is soccer still fun when you play in a professional league?

PREKI: Of course! I mean, it depends on how much you love the game of soccer, but I still have fun. The first day that I feel like I’m not having fun any more, I’m going to quit, but I don’t think that’ll happen for a while.

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions for Preki. If your question didn’t make it this time, try again with our next star, who will be announced shortly.